Holder for collapsible tubes and the like



Jan. 26, 19 w. F- COLLINS, JR

HOLDER FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES AND THE LIKE Filed June 19, 1963 FIG.2

FIG. I

F I 3 INVENTOR,

Bil/Vll-L'Ahfl E COLLINS,JR. WW

United States Patent 3,167,287 HOLDER FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES AND THE LIKE William F. Collins, Jr., 1266 Singing Trees Drive, Memphis, Tenn. Filed June 19, 1963, Ser. No. 289,027 4 Claims. (Cl. Z48108) This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in means and devices for supporting and maintaining collapsible tubes, such as of the nature of toothpaste and shaving cream tubes, in a convenient location for availability. Much inconvenience is occasioned in bathrooms and dressing rooms by the unavailability in a I convenient location of tubed materials, such as toothand, therefore, the material contained therein.

The present device is intended to provide an open work basket-like means for detachable suspension from a conventional bathroom fixture, such as a toothbrush holder, in order to provide for the mounting and support of a collapsible tube and for ready access thereto regardless of the condition of the tube.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a support for collapsible tubes of a new and novel construction.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a support which comprises essentially an open basket work assembly facilitating access to the collapsible tubes supported therein.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a support which includes a pair of elongated U-shaped members which are vertically suspended and to which are connected a plurality of vertically spaced apart loops and a transversely disposed lower member interconnected with the U-shaped members substantially at the bight of the U-shaped members, and also connected with the lowermost of the loops to provide a lower open pocket in the device.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device in which the members are molded together on a suitable resilient synthetic material.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device in which the upper" end of the device at the rear legs of the U-shaped members is provided with a pair of supporting hooks which are resilient for'engaging with apertures in a conventional bath room fixture and for adjusting to varying spacings of such apertures; and

A further object of the invention is generally to improve the design, construction and efiiciency of means for sup porting collapsible tubes.

The means by which the foregoing and other objects of the present invention are accomplished and the manner of their accomplishment will be readily understood from the following specification upon reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

- FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the device of the present invention, with a collapsible tube being shown therein in dotted lines.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the device as shown in FIG. 1, showing attached to a conventional fixture illustrated in fragment.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the device showing also I the attaching hooks in dotted position for adjustment purposes.

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Referring now to the drawings in which the various parts are indicated by numerals, the present device comprises a pair of laterally spaced upstanding substantially U-shaped brackets 11.

Each of the brackets preferably includes an elongated upstanding front leg 13, and an elongated upstanding rear leg 15, the legs 13, 15 of the respective brackets 11 being substantially vertically disposed and parallel and interconnected at their lower ends by a U-shaped bight 17.

Vertically spaced apart between the upper end of front legs 13 and the U-shaped bights 17 are a plurality of substantially elliptical or oval loops 19, which are preferably substantially horizontally disposed in parallelism and are rigidly connected to the front and rear legs of brackets 11. To the lowermost of loops 19, and extending transversely of the device, a retainer 21 is likewise rigidly fixed. Retainer 21 is fixed at its upper ends to the opposite extremities of lowermost loop 19, extends downwardly and convergingly therefrom, and transversely across the device being fixed to the bights 17 of both of brackets 11. This retainer 21 interconnects the brackets and the lower loop, providing a bottom closure for the open work structure.

Rear legs 15 of brackets 11 extend upwardly above the uppermost of loops 19 and are interconnected by a brace plate 23. Rearwardly extending beyond braceplate 23 each of rear legs 15 is provided with a downwardly open hook 25, which, owing to the resiliency of the material of which the device is formed, are enabled to clamp the conventional apertures 27 formed in a conventional wall fixture 29.

When hooks 25 are inserted in apertures 27 the hooks snugly engage the material of the wall fixture and cause the brace plate 23 to abut firmly against the exterior of the wall fixture, thus insuring a stable mount for the device. In addition it is found that the apertures in wall fixtures vary in their spacings and the resiliency of the hooks enables them to be bent transversely as indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 3, in order to accommodate varying positions of fixture apertures.

It will further be noted that the hooks 25 are preferably formed with a substantially S-shaped nose portion 31, including a lowermost guide 33, the guides 33 flaring away from rear legs 15, and assisting in the introduction of the hooks into the wall fixture apertures.

Preferably the device is integrally formed as by molding in asingle unit. It will be observed that when so formed the device provides a convenient support for a collapsible tube, such as the tube T, and that the tube may be readily grasped regardless of its condition between the wide open spaces of the basket work of the device. It will be seen that the retainer 21 effectively serves to prevent lateral displacement of a tube contained in the device beyond the confines of the device, and in addition the horizontal loops act upon the tube in such a manner as to maintain it substantially erect, even though it may be tilted slightly.

The device may be quickly mounted, and if desired may be as quickly dismounted from the wall fixture to which it has been connected. Thus there has been provided a simple and efiicient device for supporting collapsible tubes and the like in a convenient and eflicient manner.

I claim:

1. Means for supporting contents such as a collapsible tube and the like comprising a pair of elongated, vertical, upstanding U-shaped brackets, each said bracket having a front leg and a rear leg, the legs of each bracket being interconnected at their lower ends by a U-shaped bight underlying the open interior of the support means, a plurality of horizontal loops vertically spaced apart, rigidly connected to said brackets and extending laterally 

1. MEANS FOR SUPPORTING CONTENTS SUCH AS A COLLAPSIBLE TUBE AND THE LIKE COMPRISING A PAIR OF ELONGATED, VERTICAL, UPSTANDING U-SHAPED BRACKETS, EACH SAID BRACKET HAVING A FRONT LEG AND A REAR LEG, THE LEGS OF EACH BRACKET BEING INTERCONNECTED AT THEIR LOWER ENDS BY A U-SHAPED BIGHT UNDERLYING THE OPEN INTERIOR OF THE SUPPORT MEANS, A PLURALITY OF HORIZONTAL LOOPS VERTICLLY SPACED APART, RIGIDLY CONNECTED TO SAID BRACKETS AND EXTENDING LATERALLY OUTWARD THEREFROM SURROUNDING THE OPEN INTERIOR OF THE SUPPORT MEANS WHILE PERMITTING ACCESS TO THE CONTENTS THEREOF AND RETAINING SUCH CONTENTS AGAINST LATERAL SEPARATION FROM THE SUPPORT MEANS, THE LOWERMOST OF SAID LOOPS BEING ABOVE SAID BRACKET BIGHTS, THE UPPERMOST OF SAID LOOPS CONNECTED TO SAID BRACKETS AT THE UPPER EXTREMITY OF SAID FRONT LEGS, A RETAINER TERMINATING AT AND CONNECTED TO THE OPPOSITE EXTREMITIES OF SAID LOWERMOST LOOP EXTENDING CONVERGINGLY DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM SAID TRANSVERSELY ACROSS SAID BIGHTS, SAID RETAINER BEING FIXED TO SAID BIGHTS TO INTERCONNECT SAID BIGHTS AND EFFECT AN ENCLOSURE OF THE LOWER END OF SAID SUPPORT MEANS AGAINST ACCIDENTAL DOWNWARD DISCHARGE OF SAID CONTENTS, THE UPPER ENDS OF THE REAR LEGS OF THE BRACKETS EXTENDING ABOVE SAID UPPERMOST LOOP AND THE REMAINDER OF THE SUPPORT MEANS AND BEING INTERCONNECTED ABOVE THE UPPERMOST SAID LOOP BY A TRANSVERSE BRACE, A DEPENDING RESILIENT HOOK FIXED TO EACH SAID REAR LEG AND SPACED REARWARDLY THEREFROM, EACH SAID HOOK BEING RESILIENTLY URGED TOWARD ITS RELATED SAID LEG AND HAVING A FLARED GUIDE END FOR ASSISTING ENTRY INT THE APERTURE OF A FIXTURE, SAID HOOKS BEING LATERALLY ADJUSTABLE FOR VARIATION OF SPACING BETWEEN SAID GUIDE ENDS. 